Legal Interracial Marriage Turns 50 and Inspires Nationwide Celebrations

NEW YORK, June 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This year marks the 50th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court decision that struck down all laws against interracial marriage in the United States. Loving Day commemorates the June 12th, 1967 anniversary of this civil rights landmark. Loving Day Celebrations form the world's largest network of multiracial community events.

Virginia has become the first U.S. state to permanently recognize Loving Day. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio officially recognized Loving Day with a proclamation in which he says, "Chirlane and I are proud to applaud the Loving Day Project...Together, we are forging a stronger, more equitable future for us all." Mayor de Blasio is "the first white politician in U.S. history elected to a major office with a black spouse by his side" (AP 2013).

The 2017 Academy Awards honored Loving, a Hollywood film about the real-life in the Loving case: Richard and Mildred Loving. Ruth Negga earned an Oscar nomination as Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Mildred Loving.

One-in-six newlyweds (17%) are married to a person of a "different race or ethnicity" according to a May 2017 Pew Research Center analysis. This is five times more than in 1967, the year of the Loving decision. One-in-ten of all married people are in an interracial or interethnic marriage (about 11 million).

11% of Americans still do not approve of interracial marriages (Gallup 2013). 6.9% of adult Americans (22M) are multiracial, comparable to the Asian American population at 5.6% (Pew Research 2015).

Thousands will celebrate Loving Day on or around June 12th in cities worldwide. These celebrations range from family gatherings to public festivals like the Loving Day Flagship Celebration in New York and the Mixed Remixed Festival in LA. Celebrations are also planned for 35 other cities including DC, Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Paris, and Amsterdam. Additional events are expected.

About the Loving Day Project
Created in 2004, Loving Day's mission is to fight racial prejudice through education and to build multiethnic community. Our vision is to create an annual tradition that will make the Loving case a universally recognized civil rights landmark.

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SOURCE Loving Day

Related Links

http://lovingday.org/